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I am pausing from the LONG list of Essential oils to discuss Christmas!
Lol, It may be a sunny 70 degrees where you are at today, as it is here in Ohio since we are enjoying one of the last days of Indian Summer, but it is nearly the end of the Christmas shopping season for overseas buyers. Yes, you may not be aware, but most foreign buyers will need to purchase their holiday gifts within the next eight to ten days to be assured that they will arrive in time, and that they will have the time to wrap and relax before the big day.
The internet has made global marketing an easy reality, yet few us us really take the time to figure out what that really means! For instance, what did you do over Labor Day weekend? Labor Day is celebrated nationally on a Monday every year. I bet that you were at a social gathering of some type on that Monday, or cuddled up on the sofa watching television. No matter how you celebrated it, I would wager that your handmade business was far from your mind that day. That in itself is no problem, but did your overseas customers even KNOW that it was a holiday for you? For that matter, do YOU know what their holidays are?
To avoid confusion and hard feelings about shipping dates or a lack of response from emails, you really should post any holiday interruptions in your shop announcements. Never assume that everyone knows that the USA celebrates July 4th as a holiday. While Christmas is an International holiday, you still have to remember that it takes time to ship to other countries. To further complicate issues, customs may hold packages for inspection which will delaying your shipment. Soooooooooooo, as I previously stated, it is almost time for the International shipping of Christmas items to be over! You were probably just getting ready for Thanksgiving, and in your shop you have probably just begun to add Christmas items, but really the season is almost over!\
If you were not aware of this, hurry and post your Christmas and gift set items now. Don't forget either that half the world has Christmas in the summer, while we are burried deep in the snow. Also, you may want to mention International shipping dates in your shop announcements. At the very least, be aware of the times frames needed. Most foreign buyers are more aware of shipping dealines than we are, so they likely already have their personal deadlines in mind. This does not, however, excuse our own ignorance. We need to know that most items shipped to Canada take 10 days, but when held by customs can be a month, if not more.

2 comments:

I have found a company that provides excellent service in international package forwarding from the US and has great website technologyThey are http://www.BongoUS.com

They don't nickel and dime you for all the small things like fuel, etc. They don't charge fees for consolidation or commercial invoices. They also charge a significant amount of money less for insurance which is very important to me. They ship via DHL at a very discounted rate so your items get across the globe in like 3-4 business days.This is a great way to give international buyers the chance to shop American products for Christmas

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For almost fifteen years Unique Garden Essences has been providing the naturalist with bath & body products from the Earth. Organic, spa quality products that are made with natural botanical, vegetable and renewable ingredients. Products for the mind, body and soul.